Xiaoqi

When he was overjoyed, Cao Hong suddenly thought of something, and said anxiously: "That's not right, my lord! Yuan Shao is kind-hearted and ruthless, hiding his sword in his smile. He often does such double-faced things. Now he needs the lord and him to unite to suppress the princes from all walks of life, so as to ensure his Stay firmly on the throne of the leader of the alliance and control the army of the princes. After the matter is completed, if he crosses the river and demolishes the bridge, and turns his head to deal with us, what should we do?"

Hearing the sound, Cao Cao turned his head and stared at Cao Hong in surprise. After a while, he praised, "Zi Lian will be my Cao family's great horse! Before, I always thought that Cao Ren was calm and quick-witted. After a little training, he will be a great general." Talent is worthy of great use. Now it seems that Zi Lian is rough but fine, and thinks long-term, which is not inferior to Zi Xiao!"

"My lord, I am honored." Cao Hong blushed, and said with rare modesty: "Zixiao is proficient in the art of war, is good at arranging troops, and his ability to command troops in battle is indeed far superior to mine. I am ashamed of myself. However, if Let’s just talk about martial arts. I’m not inferior to Zixiao, and I swear to protect the lord Zhouquan to the death!”

"Zi Lian's words are serious." Cao Cao knew the meaning of Cao Hong's words, and he was very grateful. He said with relief: "We are all brothers in the same family. We are all prosperous and wealtered. There is no need to compare each other, let alone worry about each other. It has always been. Lian is loyal to me. Cao Cao rescued me from danger many times. I will never forget these things. However, Zi Lian needs to restrain himself a little in the future. Don’t be greedy for beauty, luxury and pleasure. Opportunity, don't waste your time!"

"This,,, I know I was wrong at the end. I won't be content with pleasure in the future." Cao Hong lowered his head and replied with flushed cheeks.

Obviously, Cao Cao's understatement directly hit Cao Hong's weakness, which made him panic.

In fact, although Cao Hong and Cao Ren are not blood brothers.But they practiced literature and martial arts together since they were young, and grew up together. They are not brothers but they are better than brothers.Cao Hong is not inferior to Cao Ren in terms of martial arts, martial arts or intelligence, but he is a person who is content with pleasure and lives an extremely extravagant life, so that Cao Ren rarely interacts with him in the past two years, and Cao Cao can't count on him.There are more than [-] maids and dancers in his mansion, and the mansion is more luxurious than Cao Cao's backyard. He spends money like water, sings, sings and dances every day, indulging in wine, sex and pleasure.

Because of this, Cao Cao has always relied heavily on Cao Ren, and deliberately trained Cao Ren to be the leader of the army.In contrast, Cao Hong tended to be unable to support the wall with mud, which made Cao Cao quite disappointed. However, due to Cao Hong's efforts to save his life many times, he had to turn a blind eye and let it go. Accused in person.

However, Cao Hong has an advantage that others cannot match, at least for Cao Cao.That is, although Cao Hong is greedy for women and content with pleasure, he is not a person who is greedy for life and fear of death. He is loyal to Cao Cao and has repeatedly put his own safety in disregard of his own safety to save him.Therefore, when Cao Cao personally led the army to go out, he would always bring Cao Hong with him. Subconsciously, as long as Cao Hong was around, he would not have to worry about his own safety.

Seeing Cao Hong bow his head and admit his mistake, Cao Cao was very relieved, and he didn't mean to blame him at all, "It's good to be able to correct your mistakes, Zilian doesn't have to blame himself."

"Boom, goo, goo!"

Just before Cao Cao finished speaking, there was a clear and crisp sound from the cliff on the west side of the valley, and then a nighthawk (owl) appeared over the valley, circling and screaming.

"Huh?" Cao Cao raised his head upon hearing the sound, suddenly became alert, and the smile on his face quickly disappeared, replaced by a dignified expression.

"In the middle of the night, the nighthawks were frightened and flew away, screaming and wailing. This is a bad omen!" After pondering, Cao Cao asked Cao Hong in a deep voice: "How many soldiers are in charge of guarding the night tonight? Ever found anything unusual?"

Seeing that Cao Cao's expression was different and his tone was not friendly, Cao Hong did not dare to hesitate, and immediately reported: "At the end of the day, [-] soldiers will be stationed at the mouth of the valley, and [-] soldiers will be stationed three miles north of the valley. A total of [-] soldiers will be in charge of the night watch. In addition, from the After our army entered the valley, the last general sent out three batches of scouts, a total of more than a thousand people, to search all within a ten-mile radius of the mountain stream. Not a single plant or tree was missed, and nothing was found. But "

"But what? Don't be hesitant, you are talking!" Cao Cao asked anxiously when his expression changed.

Seeing Cao Cao's eagerness, Cao Hong suddenly felt bad, and a sense of crisis that he had never felt before filled his heart.

Immediately, he reported truthfully: "One hour ago, the last group of [-] scouts was sent into the north of the mountain stream to investigate the terrain, and they were strictly ordered to check the situation at the north exit, but none of them have returned until now. The general thought that the mountain stream was full of rocks, it was rough and difficult to walk, and it was traveling at night, so the speed of action would inevitably be slower, so I didn't care about it."

While talking, Cao Hong was afraid that Cao Cao would get angry, so he had no time to take a breather, so he immediately explained: "Before our army came here, the last general sent scouts to explore the terrain of the entire mountain stream. This mountain stream is called 'Feiyundu' by the local people. A tributary of the Yellow River during the flood season, the entire mountain stream is flooded, with few people and no birds, so it is called Feiyundu. However, as the winter season approaches, the water level of the Yellow River has dropped sharply, making the mountain stream dry up, and the river has become an intermittent stream. That's why we can accommodate our army lurking here.

The mountain stream is seventeen miles long, and the valley mouths at the north and south ends are relatively open, and each has a valley about three or four miles long, just like the valley we are in.To the north of the mountain stream is the Yellow River, and there is a ferry for more than ten miles to the south. It was built by the surrounding people to dock their boats and rafts when fishing. It is very simple and cannot dock warships.Directly in front of the ferry is a relatively flat mountain road, built around the cliff on the north side of Feiyun Ferry, which can be passed by horse-drawn carriages, with a total length of 38 miles. The way is connected.

In contrast, although the mountain road is slightly farther than the mountain stream, it is flat and easy to walk, and the distance is not much different, and the delay is only half an hour at most.Therefore, even in the middle of winter, few people set foot in this mountain stream, not to mention it is late at night, it is impossible for anyone to pass by here. "

After finishing speaking, Cao Hong took a deep breath, and finally expressed his worries: "However, the last batch of scouts from our army has not returned yet. Looking back now, it is indeed a bit abnormal. The mountain stream of more than ten miles away, no matter how it is It's hard to do, and a full hour has passed, and they should have come back anyway. Therefore, the last general,,, the last general feels that something may have happened to them!"

"What happened?" Cao Cao was shocked when he heard the words, and he frowned and muttered: "You mean that they might encounter the Xiliang army, or be directly ambushed and killed by the Xiliang army? If the scouts are discovered by the Xiliang army, then us,,,"

Speaking of this, Cao Cao's face changed drastically, and he exclaimed: "Ah! No, our army's whereabouts have been leaked!"

"Leak your whereabouts! How is this possible?" Cao Hong said in amazement: "Throughout the journey, our army has been lying around day and night, without flags, without making fire or cooking, and living on dry food, without contact with outsiders. Such a secret Marching, how could it be possible to reveal whereabouts?"

Cao Cao shook his head when he heard the sound, and walked out from under the rock with his head bowed, saying in a deep voice, "This time our army is going deep alone. Once our whereabouts are revealed, the consequences will be disastrous. Being in a dangerous place, everything should be done with caution. Be careful. Zi Lian , Immediately set off with the whole army, and quickly evacuate this place!"

"Ah!" Cao Hong was stunned when he heard the sound, and said excitedly, "Is it so serious to evacuate? I have been marching for more than ten days, lurking here in the cold and starving, and now I am retreating like this. The last general is really not reconciled!"

Cao Cao looked up at the Nighthawk circling under the moonlight, and said in a deep voice, "Now that Yanzhou is in the hands of Lu Bu, we only have three small cities to live in. The only thing we can rely on is the 10,000+ soldiers in our hands. If the soldiers and horses fail The loss is exhausted. Although the world is big, where is our shelter? Our army is right under the eyes of the Xiliang army. Once the whereabouts are leaked, more than 6 Yanzhou soldiers, including you and me, will be buried here. Therefore Zi Lian doesn't need to say too much, he would rather believe what he has or not, and set off immediately with the whole army, without any mistakes!"

"Promise, the general will obey!" Seeing that Cao Cao had said so much, Cao Hong didn't say much, so he had to bow and accept the order.

"It's such a joy to have friends coming from afar! Cao Mengde, since you're here, why bother to leave? You and I will have a good talk tonight. It won't be easy for you to come here, so let's all stay! Hahaha!"

Just as Cao Hong called his generals to assemble the team and prepare to set off, loud laughter suddenly came from the cliff more than [-] feet high behind him.

"Roar!"

When Cao Cao, Cao Hong and tens of thousands of Yanzhou soldiers heard the sound and looked up, a deafening roar of a giant beast shook everyone's ears and their heads buzzed.Immediately afterwards, I saw a wild giant beast appearing on the top of the cliff in the east of Calabash Valley. Its golden mane glowed brilliantly under the moonlight, its body was huge, and its roar was earth-shattering. fall.However, this is not the most frightening thing. What frightened Cao Jun the most was the stalwart figure on the back of the giant beast.

Although no one could see his face clearly, the identity of the man who controlled the giant beast had long been known throughout the world.This person is the well-known and mighty Hushi General, Marquis of Wuwei Li Li Li Wenchang!

Chapter 654

Thanks to: book friend Hua Xiaoyun, Sha Li book friend monthly ticket support, thank you!

"Li, Wen, Chang!"

The moment Cao Cao looked up and saw the Golden Beast King and Li Li on his back, Cao Cao suddenly lost his mind, opened his eyes wide, looked up at the figure on the top of the mountain without blinking, bared his teeth and muttered.

"Meng De is still hesitating, hurry up, if you don't leave, it will be too late!" Cao Hong, who was beside him, urged in a trembling voice with a pale face.

Cao Cao woke up startled by the sound, his eyes glanced around, his face was gloomy like a melancholy cloud, and his expression dimmed accordingly.

When his eyes turned back, he shook his head dejectedly, and lamented in a low voice: "The valley entrance and the cliffs on both sides are surrounded by soldiers under Li Thief's command, and it is too late to escape now! We are too negligent tonight, so that it is too late to reveal our whereabouts." I know that I didn’t realize it until now when I was besieged by the Xiliang army. It’s too late, it’s too late, I’m waiting for my life to die!”

"Meng De's words are wrong." Seeing Cao Cao's pessimism and negativity, Cao Hong's cheeks turned red and he said disapprovingly, "Meng De must not lose his footing. At this time of crisis, tens of thousands of soldiers in our army will pin their hope of survival on you body; if you give up resisting, then I will be completely finished waiting, waiting to be killed!"

In desperation, Cao Hong didn't care about the gift of the lord, grabbed Cao Cao's shoulders with both hands, and said anxiously: "Time is waiting, please make a decision quickly, whether to fight or surrender, it's up to you to decide!"

Cao Cao's expression was shocked when he heard the words, and a look of absoluteness flashed across his slightly absent-minded eyes. He raised his eyes to look at the majestic figure on the top of the mountain, and said in a dark and cold tone: "My Cao family, Xiahou's family and Li thief have always had suspicions. , Years of grudges, old and new grudges entangled endlessly, has become an intolerable situation, irreconcilable. Therefore, even if we are willing to bow our heads and surrender, I am afraid that Thief Li will not let it go, and sooner or later he will kill us life."

While speaking, Cao Cao narrowed his eyes slightly, and ordered in a low voice with a ruthless face: "Zi Lian, for the current plan, we have no way out except to fight to the death. Therefore, don't think too much. You immediately lead the soldiers Charge out from the mouth of the valley, vowing not to retreat, must tear open the enemy's siege defense line, and fight a way out. As long as I rush out of the mountain stream before dawn, there will be a chance of survival. Otherwise, this calabash valley will be the place where I will die! "

"Why didn't you break out to the north?" Cao Hong then asked, "Li Thief led his troops to block the entrance of the valley, and the northern mountain stream could still escape. Why did we stay here and fight Li Thief to the death?"

Cao Cao shook his head upon hearing the sound.He said solemnly and solemnly: "Thieve Li has always stayed still, and he has always left no room for murder. His methods are extremely cruel. Now that he appears here, it means that the valley entrance at the northern end of the mountain stream is also blocked by the bandits, otherwise he is I won't show up easily. What's more, beyond the mouth of the valley in the north is the bank of the Yellow River. The territory is narrow, the road is difficult to travel, and we have no boats to cross the river; There is no way out."

Speaking of this, Cao Cao's tone changed suddenly, and he said coldly: "Zi Lian doesn't need to say too much, and lead the troops to charge quickly without hesitation!"

"Promise, the last general takes orders!" Cao Hong clasped his hands in response, turned around immediately, waved his big hand, and brazenly led tens of thousands of soldiers to Taniguchi.

As soon as Cao Hong left, Cao Cao straightened his armor, drew his sword, and shouted sharply, "Where are the two generals Yu Jin and Le Jin?"

"The last general is here, my lord, please give me an order!" The two generals Yu Jin and Le Jin came out of the line and responded with a bow.

Cao Cao strode up to them and ordered in a low voice: "Lead [-] soldiers and horses immediately to break through to the north of the mountain stream. No matter what the cost, we must break through the enemy's siege, and then go south along the bank of the Yellow River. Don't care about the south. Stay until the boat reaches the north bank. If Cao dies here tonight, you will join Cao Ren after returning to Hedong, return to Yanzhou immediately, support my eldest son Cao Ang as the successor, withdraw from Yanzhou, and attack Qingzhou to gain a foothold!"

"This general will swear to the death to protect the lord to break through the siege, and he does not want to just live by it!" The two generals Yu Jin and Le Jin were shocked when they heard the words, and then bowed and said.

Cao Cao patted the second general on the shoulder, shook his head and said, "I know that you two have always been loyal, so I entrusted you with the funeral. Well, don't say too much, go. Take care of yourself, please!"

Seeing that Cao Cao had made up his mind, the two generals Yu Jin and Le Jin had no choice but to bow down to accept the order, and then led their soldiers straight to the depths of the mountain stream.

Watching the two of them leave with their troops, Cao Cao's eyes showed a hint of unbearable color, and after a flash, his eyes were absolutely cold and his expression was extremely cold.

"Father just said that the army cannot be divided, but now why do you let the two generals Yu Jin and Le Jin lead the army to attack the northern mountain stream?" A young general beside Cao Cao asked in a low voice.

That's right, this person calls Cao Cao his father, but he is not Cao Cao's biological son, but Cao Zhen who was adopted by Cao Cao as his adopted son.

At this moment, besides his adopted son Cao Zhen, there are three young generals following Cao Cao, namely Cao Ang, Cao Xiu and Cao Anmin.These four people are not very old, and they are weak crowns, but they have been fighting with Cao Cao for more than a year. They are rising stars of the Cao family, and they will be of great use after a few years of training.

This time Cao Cao led the army to join the alliance and did not bring his female family members to the expedition. Instead, he left his second son Cao Pi to stay in Dong'e to take care of his family.Cheng Yu was the adviser who followed him to the alliance, and all the generals under his command went out with the army.In order to attack Hangu Pass by surprise, Cao Cao divided the army into two, one with [-] troops led by Cao Ren and Cheng Yu stayed in the Allied Army camp in Hedong, and the other [-] troops were led by him personally. The Yellow River is waiting for an opportunity to attack Hangu Pass.